The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it may be described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present technology.
Mobile transport vehicles, such as dollies, hand carts, hand trucks, and pallet jacks may be used to transport materials or items throughout a facility, or used for various loading and unloading purposes. Preventing a parked or stationary transport vehicle from inadvertently moving forward or rearward is an important safety consideration. In general, the most common wheel restraint is simply a portable wheel chock that wedges between the ground/roadway and the underside of the wheel. However, wheel chocks may often slip out of position when the ground/roadway is slippery due to oil or other debris, such as sand, gravel, or dirt that may be present. Moreover, wheel chocks are usually loose items that do not permanently attach to the loading dock area, so they may often get misplaced. In other aspects, certain transport vehicles may include a tow motor upon which a driver stands during movement. In order to apply a pressure brake, the driver may have to step off and leave his position, which may compromise safety in a busy area, adversely affect ergonomics, and/or increase time and expense.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved wheel restraint system that is still capable of meeting various safety considerations.